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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bass — the fish
  3. object — an aim
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cell — a phone
  6. object — a thing
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. scale — in music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bass — low music
  16. object — to protest
  17. cell — in biology
  18. scale — size or range
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rush — hurry
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com